| Southern Conference | |
| Color: |
|
| Font Color: | white |
| Association: | NCAA |
| Division: | Division I |
| Subdivision: | FCS |
| Teams: | 10 |
| Sports: | 21 |
| Mens: | 11 |
| Womens: | 9 |
| Coed: | 1 |
| Region: | Southeast |
| Headquarters: | Spartanburg, South Carolina |
| Commissioner: | Michael Cross |
| Since: | 2023 |
| Map: | File:Southern Conference Map version 1.1revised03092021.png |
| Map Size: | 250 |
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA). Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Established in 1921, the Southern Conference ranks as the fifth-oldest major college athletic conference in the United States, and either the third or fourth oldest in continuous operation, depending on definitions.[1] Among conferences currently in operation, the Big Ten (1896) and Missouri Valley (1907) are indisputably older. The Pac-12 Conference did not operate under its current charter until 1959 but claims the history of the Pacific Coast Conference, founded in 1915, as its own. The Southwest Conference (SWC) was founded in 1914 but ceased operation in 1996. The Big Eight Conference claimed the same history as the Missouri Valley from 1907 to 1928 during its existence; though it essentially merged with four SWC members to form the Big 12 Conference in 1996, the Big 12 does not claim the Big Eight's legacy.[2] The Ivy League was formally organized in 1954 with athletic competition starting in 1955, but claims the history of the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League, which competed from 1901 to 1955, as its own.
The SoCon was the first conference to use the three-point field goal in basketball in a November 29, 1980, game at Western Carolina against Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where Ronnie Carr shot the historic shot from away and the Catamounts won 77–70.[3] [4]
The Southern Conference is considered one of the stronger football conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision and is considered a mid-major conference in basketball. The three-time Division I NCAA Football champion Appalachian State Mountaineers were a member of the conference when they stunned the fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines 34–32 on September 1, 2007.[5] The Davidson Wildcats reached the Elite Eight in the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament by upsetting power programs Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin.[6] More recently, the six-time Division I NCAA football champion Georgia Southern Eagles stunned Southeastern Conference power-house Florida Gators 26–20 in The Swamp on November 23, 2013—the first loss to a lower-division opponent in the Florida program's history.[7] In 2015, Furman defeated UCF 16–15 and The Citadel topped South Carolina 23–22 for their second win over the Gamecocks in the past three meetings. On September 4, 2021, East Tennessee State University stunned Vanderbilt 23–3 in their opening game. The SoCon also frequently sees multiple teams selected to participate in the NCAA Division I baseball championship.[8]
| Wallace Wade | 1951–1960 | |
| Lloyd Jordon | 1960–1973 | |
| Ken Germann | 1974–1986 | |
| Dave Hart | 1986–1991 | |
| Wright Waters | 1991–1998 | |
| Alfred B. White | 1998–2001 | |
| Danny Morrison | 2001–2005 | |
| John Iamarino | 2006–2019 | |
| Jim Schaus | 2019–2023 | |
| Michael Cross | 2023–present |
Talks of a new conference for Southern athletics had started as early as fall of 1920.[9] The conference was formed on February 25, 1921, in Atlanta as fourteen member institutions split from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.[1] Southern Conference charter members were Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Washington & Lee. In 1922, six more universities—Florida, LSU, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tulane, and Vanderbilt joined the conference. The first year of competition for the conference was in 1922, effective January 1.[10] [11] The new rules banned freshman play.[12] Later additions included Sewanee (1924), Virginia Military Institute (1924), and Duke (1929).
The SoCon is particularly notable for having spawned two other major conferences. In 1932, the 13 schools located south and west of the Appalachians (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, University of the South (Sewanee), Tennessee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt) all departed the SoCon to form the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In 1953, seven additional schools (Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest) withdrew from the SoCon to form the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[1] The SEC and ACC have gone on to surpass their parent conference in prestige; while the SEC and ACC are considered "power" conferences in Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A), the SoCon dropped to Division I-AA (FCS) in 1982, four years after the top division was split into two levels in 1978.
The SoCon became the first league to hold a post-season basketball tournament to decide a conference champion. Although first played in 1921, it did not become "official" until 1922, and in its first few years included teams which were not conference members.[13] Held at the Municipal Auditorium in Atlanta from February 24 to March 2, 1922, the first meeting was won by North Carolina who defeated non-member Mercer in the Finals 40–25.[14] The SoCon Basketball Tournament continues as the nation's oldest conference tournament. The next-oldest tournament overall is the SEC men's basketball tournament, founded in 1933, but that event was suspended after its 1952 edition and did not resume until 1979. With the demise of the Division II West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2013, whose tournament had been continuously held since 1936, the next-oldest conference tournament in continuous existence is now the ACC men's basketball tournament, first held in 1954.
The all-sports membership changed to 10 schools in 2014 following the departure of Appalachian State, Davidson, Elon, and Georgia Southern, plus the arrival of East Tennessee State (ETSU), Mercer, and VMI. The current football membership stands at nine. UNC Greensboro does not sponsor football, while ETSU relaunched its previously dormant football program in 2015 and rejoined SoCon football in 2016 after one season as an independent.[15]
The 10 members of the Southern Conference are:| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Endowment (millions) | Nickname | Colors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1886 | 1976 | Public | 11,728 | $147.1 | Mocs | ||
| The Citadel | Charleston, South Carolina | 1842 | 1936 | Senior Military College | 3,693 | $305.8 | Bulldogs | ||
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City, Tennessee | 1911 | 2014 | Public | 9,151 | $130.1 | Buccaneers | ||
| Furman University | Greenville, South Carolina | 1826 | 1936 | Private | 2,629 | $812 | Paladins | ||
| Mercer University | Macon, Georgia | 1833 | 2014 | 9,026 | $424 | Bears | |||
| Samford University | Homewood, Alabama | 1841 | 2008 | 5,729 | $297 | Bulldogs | |||
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1891 | 1997 | Public | 19,764 | $368.6 | Spartans | ||
| Virginia Military Institute (VMI) | Lexington, Virginia | 1839 | 2014 | Senior Military College | 1,772 | $539.6 | Keydets | ||
| Western Carolina University | Cullowhee, North Carolina | 1889 | 1976 | Public | 12,243 | $88.9 | Catamounts | ||
| Wofford College | Spartanburg, South Carolina | 1854 | 1997 | Private | 1,773 | $208.1 | Terriers |
On January 9, 2014, the SoCon and Atlantic Sun Conference, now known as the ASUN Conference, announced a new alliance in lacrosse that took effect with the 2015 spring season (2014–15 school year). Under its terms, sponsorship of men's lacrosse shifted from the ASUN to the SoCon, while women's lacrosse sponsorship remained with the ASUN. Bellarmine, which had announced it would join the ASUN for men's lacrosse for the 2015 spring season, instead joined the SoCon.[16] The alliance remains in effect in men's lacrosse, but the leagues amicably ended their full alliance in women's lacrosse once the SoCon began sponsoring that sport in the 2018 spring season (2017–18 school year).[17] However, the conferences maintained their working relationship in women's lacrosse, with the SoCon adding Coastal Carolina as an associate member effective with the 2021 spring season (2020–21 school year) in order to keep both conferences at five women's lacrosse members for 2021.[18] Coastal was intended to play in SoCon women's lacrosse in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 school year) as well, but the SoCon decided to drop the sport after the 2021 spring season (2020–21 school year). While no formal announcement was made, the SoCon–ASUN women's lacrosse partnership definitively ended at that time, as the three full SoCon members who sponsored women's lacrosse moved that sport to the Big South Conference. Coastal and Delaware State both returned women's lacrosse to the ASUN Conference.[19]
The men's lacrosse partnership took a slightly different form from the 2022 spring season (2021–22 school year) forward, as the ASUN reinstated its men's lacrosse league. The two full ASUN members with men's lacrosse programs separated, with Jacksonville remaining in SoCon men's lacrosse while Bellarmine joined the ASUN men's lacrosse league. SoCon associate Air Force also left for ASUN men's lacrosse.[20] The SoCon maintained its automatic NCAA tournament berth with the addition of Hampton.[21]
Before the addition of Hampton men's lacrosse, the most recent addition to the associate membership was Presbyterian wrestling, which joined during summer 2019.[22] Two women's lacrosse members, Central Michigan and Detroit Mercy, left after the 2020 season (2019–20 school year) to join the new women's lacrosse league of Central's full-time home of the Mid-American Conference;[23] this move contributed to the eventual demise of the SoCon women's lacrosse league.
Men's soccer member Belmont left the SoCon after the 2021–22 school year when it joined the Missouri Valley Conference, which sponsors that sport.[24] At the same time, Hampton moved men's lacrosse to its new full-time home of the Colonial Athletic Association, now known as the Coastal Athletic Association.[25]
The addition of men's lacrosse by the Atlantic 10 Conference, announced on May 23, 2022,[26] led to the demise of the SoCon men's lacrosse league after the 2022 season. In addition to Hampton joining the CAA, SoCon associate members High Point and Richmond (the latter a full A-10 member) moved to the A-10, and Jacksonville returned to ASUN men's lacrosse.
In the table below, the "Joined" column denotes the start of the school year in which the institution became an associate member, which for spring sports differs from the first season of competition.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Sport | Primary conference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (UAB) | Birmingham, Alabama | 1969 | 2016 | Public | 18,568 | Blazers | rifle | The American | ||
| Appalachian State University | Boone, North Carolina | 1899 | 2014 | 20,641 | Mountaineers | wrestling | Sun Belt | |||
| Bellarmine University | Louisville, Kentucky | 1950 | 2020 | Private | 3,846 | Knights | wrestling | ASUN | ||
| Campbell University | Buies Creek, North Carolina | 1887 | 2011 | 11,241 | Fighting Camels | wrestling | CAA | |||
| Davidson College | Davidson, North Carolina | 1837 | 2014 | 1,850 | Wildcats | wrestling | Atlantic 10 | |||
| Gardner–Webb University | Boiling Springs, North Carolina | 1905 | 2011 | 5,000 | Runnin' Bulldogs | wrestling | Big South | |||
| Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, Georgia | 1906 | 2016 | Public | 20,517 | Eagles | rifle[27] | Sun Belt | ||
| Dahlonega, Georgia | 1873 | 2016 | Public | 16,064 | Nighthawks | rifle | Peach Belt | |||
| Clinton, South Carolina | 1880 | 2019 | Private | 1,403 | Blue Hose | wrestling | Big South |
Most former members are currently members of either the Southeastern Conference or the Atlantic Coast Conference. Two of the former full members, Appalachian State and Davidson, maintain SoCon associate membership in wrestling. A third former full member, Georgia Southern, became an associate member in rifle when the SoCon added the sport for the 2016–17 school year.
In the table below, the "Joined" and "Left" columns denotes the calendar year in which each school joined and left the SoCon. For fall sports, the year of departure differs from the final year of competition. For spring sports, the year of arrival differs from the first season of competition.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | SoCon sport | Primary conference during SoCon associate membership | Current conference in former SoCon sport | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, Colorado | 1954 | 2015 | 2021 | Federal | 4,417 | Falcons | lacrosse (m) | Mountain West | ASUN | |||
| Bellarmine University | Louisville, Kentucky | 1950 | 2014 | 2021 | Private | 3,369 | Knights | lacrosse (m) | GLVC, ASUN | ASUN | ||
| Belmont University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1890 | 2018 | 2022 | Private | 8,080 | Bruins | soccer (m) | OVC | MVC | ||
| Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, Michigan | 1892 | 2017 | 2020 | Public | 21,705 | Chippewas | lacrosse (w) | MAC | |||
| Coastal Carolina University | Conway, South Carolina | 1954 | 2020 | 2021 | Public | 10,484 | Chanticleers | lacrosse (w) | Sun Belt | ASUN | ||
| Delaware State University | Dover, Delaware | 1891 | 2017 | 2021 | Public | 5,054 | Hornets | lacrosse (w) | MEAC | Northeast | ||
| Detroit, Michigan | 1870 | 2017 | 2020 | Private | 5,700 | Titans | lacrosse (w) | Horizon | MAC | |||
| Hampton University | Hampton, Virginia | 1868 | 2021 | 2022 | Private | 4,321 | Pirates | lacrosse (m) | Big South | CAA | ||
| High Point University | High Point, North Carolina | 1924 | 2014 | 2022 | Private | 4,500 | Panthers | lacrosse (m) | Big South | Atlantic 10 | ||
| Jacksonville University | Jacksonville, Florida | 1934 | 2014 | 2022 | Private | 3,741 | Dolphins | lacrosse (m) | ASUN | |||
| Richmond, Virginia | 1830 | 2014 | 2022 | Private | 4,361 | Spiders | lacrosse (m) | Atlantic 10 | ||||
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1921 till:2026
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote) id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the twoPlotData=
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bar:1 color:Full from:1921 till:1933 text:Alabama (1921–1933) bar:1 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:1933 till:end text:SEC
bar:2 color:Full from:1921 till:1933 text:Auburn (1921–1933) bar:2 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:1933 till:end text:SEC
bar:3 color:Full from:1921 till:1933 text:Georgia (1921–1933) bar:3 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:1933 till:end text:SEC
bar:4 color:Full from:1921 till:1933 text:Georgia Tech (1921–1933) bar:4 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:1933 till:1964 text:SEC bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:1964 till:1975 text:Independent bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1975 till:1979 text:Metro bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:1979 till:end text:ACC
bar:5 color:Full from:1921 till:1933 text:Kentucky (1921–1933) bar:5 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:1933 till:end text:SEC
bar:6 color:Full from:1921 till:1933 text:Mississippi A&M/State (1921–1933) bar:6 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:1933 till:end text:SEC
bar:7 color:Full from:1921 till:1933 text:Tennessee (1921–1933) bar:7 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:1933 till:end text:SEC
bar:8 color:Full from:1921 till:1937 text:Virginia (1921–1937) bar:8 color:OtherC2 from:1937 till:1953 text:Independent bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1953 till:end text:ACC
bar:9 color:Full from:1921 till:1953 text:Clemson (1921–1953) bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1953 till:end text:ACC
bar:10 color:Full from:1921 till:1953 text:North Carolina (1921–1953) bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1953 till:end text:ACC
bar:11 color:Full from:1921 till:1953 text:North Carolina State (1921–1953) bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:1953 till:end text:ACC
bar:12 color:Full from:1921 till:1953 text:Maryland (1921–1953) bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1953 till:2014 text:ACC bar:12 color:OtherC2 from:2014 till:end text:Big Ten
bar:13 color:Full from:1921 till:1958 text:Washington and Lee (1921–1958) bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1958 till:1962 bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:1962 till:1976 text:CAC bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:end text:VCC/ODAC
bar:14 color:Full from:1921 till:1965 text:Virginia Tech (1921–1965) bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:1965 till:1978 text:Independent bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1995 text:Metro bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2000 text:A-10 bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:2000 till:2004 text:Big East bar:14 shift:(20) color:OtherC2 from:2004 till:end text:ACC
bar:15 color:Full from:1922 till:1933 text:Florida (1922–1933) bar:15 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:1933 till:end text:SEC
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bar:20 color:Full from:1922 till:1953 text:South Carolina (1922–1953) bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:1953 till:1971 text:ACC bar:20 color:OtherC2 from:1971 till:1983 text:Independent bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1991 text:Metro bar:20 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:end text:SEC
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bar:24 color:Full from:1936 till:1953 text:Wake Forest (1936–1953) bar:24 color:OtherC1 from:1953 till:end text:ACC
bar:25 color:Full from:1936 till:end text:Furman (1936–present)
bar:26 color:Full from:1936 till:1976 text:Richmond (1936–1976) bar:26 color:OtherC2 from:1976 till:1979 text:Ind. bar:26 shift:(-2) color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1983 text:ECAC S. bar:26 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:2001 text:CAA bar:26 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:end text:A-10
bar:27 color:Full from:1936 till:1977 text:William & Mary (1936–1977) bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:1977 till:1983 text:ECAC S. bar:27 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:end text:CAA
bar:28 color:Full from:1936 till:end text:The Citadel (1936–present)
bar:29 color:Full from:1936 till:2014 text:Davidson (1936–2014) bar:29 color:OtherC1 from:1988 till:1990 bar:29 color:OtherC2 from:1990 till:1992 bar:29 color:FullxF from:1992 till:2014:(1992–2014) bar:29 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:A-10
bar:30 color:Full from:1941 till:1967 text:George Washington (1941–1970) bar:30 color:FullxF from:1967 till:1970 bar:30 color:OtherC2 from:1970 till:1976 text:Ind. bar:30 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:end text:A-10
bar:31 color:Full from:1950 till:1968 text:West Virginia (1950–1968) bar:31 color:OtherC2 from:1968 till:1976 text:Ind. bar:31 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1995 text:A-10 bar:31 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2012 text:Big East bar:31 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:end text:Big 12
bar:32 color:Full from:1964 till:1977 text:East Carolina (1964–1977) bar:32 shift:(20) color:OtherC2 from:1977 till:1981 text:Ind. bar:32 color:OtherC1 from:1981 till:2001 text:CAA bar:32 color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:2014 text:C-USA bar:32 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:AAC
bar:33 color:Full from:1971 till:2014 text:Appalachian State (1971–2014) bar:33 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:Sun Belt
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bar:35 color:Full from:1976 till:end text:Chattanooga (1976–present)
bar:36 color:Full from:1976 till:end text:Western Carolina (1976–present)
bar:37 color:Full from:1978 till:2004 text:East Tennessee State (1978–2005; 2014–) bar:37 color:FullxF from:2004 till:2005 bar:37 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2014 text:A-Sun bar:37 color:FullxF from:2014 till:2015 bar:37 color:Full from:2015 till:end
bar:38 color:Full from:1992 till:2014 text:Georgia Southern (1992–2014) bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:Sun Belt
bar:39 color:FullxF from:1997 till:end text:UNC Greensboro (1997–present)
bar:40 color:Full from:1997 till:end text:Wofford (1997–present)
bar:41 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:Charleston (1998–2013) bar:41 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:CAA
bar:42 color:Full from:2003 till:end text:Elon (2003–2014) bar:42 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:CAA
bar:43 color:Full from:2008 till:end text:Samford (2008–present)
bar:44 color:Full from:2014 till:end text:Mercer (2014–present)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1925TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center) text:^"Southern Conference membership history"
The Southern Conference sponsors championship competition in 11 men's, 9 women's, and one co-educational NCAA-sanctioned sports.[28] Five schools are associate members for wrestling. Under a cooperative agreement with the ASUN Conference, the SoCon began sponsoring men's lacrosse in the 2014–15 school year (2015 season) with three full members (Furman, Mercer, VMI) and four associates (Bellarmine, High Point, Jacksonville, Richmond). SoCon men's lacrosse has since added Air Force. Women's lacrosse was sponsored by the ASUN through the 2017 season,[16] after which the SoCon launched its own women's lacrosse league.[17] Beginning in the 2016–17 academic year, after a 30-year hiatus, the SoCon resumed rifle as its 21st sport. Members for conference competition are full members The Citadel, VMI, and Wofford as well as associate members UAB, Georgia Southern, and North Georgia. The SoCon is one of only two all-sports conferences to sponsor rifle, joining the Ohio Valley Conference. Rifle is technically a men's sport for NCAA purposes, but men's, women's, and co-ed teams all compete against each other.[29] Women's lacrosse was added as the 22nd sport for 2017–18, but was dropped after the 2020–21 school year.[30]
The SoCon dropped men's lacrosse after the 2022 season. Affiliate member Hampton joined the Colonial Athletic Association, which sponsors that sport, and the Atlantic 10 Conference, full-time home to men's lacrosse affiliate Richmond, launched a men's lacrosse league in the 2023 season, also taking in another SoCon affiliate in High Point.[26] With SoCon men's lacrosse being gutted by these changes, VMI moved that sport to its former men's lacrosse home of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and the two remaining men's lacrosse members, Jacksonville and Mercer, moved that sport to the ASUN.[26] [31] [32]
| Men's | Women's | Co-ed | ||
| Baseball | 8 | – | – | |
| Basketball | 10 | 8 | – | |
| Cross Country | 10 | 10 | – | |
| Football | 9 | – | – | |
| Golf | 8 | 9 | – | |
| Rifle | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
| Soccer | 6 | 10 | – | |
| Softball | – | 8 | – | |
| Tennis | 8 | 8 | – | |
| Track and Field (Indoor) | 9 | 9 | – | |
| Track and Field (Outdoor) | 9 | 10 | – | |
| Volleyball | – | 9 | – | |
| Wrestling | 9 | – | – |
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross country | Football | Golf | Rifle | Soccer | Tennis | Track & field (indoor) | Track & field (outdoor) | Wrestling | Total SoCon sports | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | 6 | ||||||||||||
| The Citadel | 9 | ||||||||||||
| East Tennessee State | 8 | ||||||||||||
| Furman | 8 | ||||||||||||
| Mercer | 8 | ||||||||||||
| Samford | 8 | ||||||||||||
| UNC Greensboro | 8 | ||||||||||||
| VMI | 10 | ||||||||||||
| Western Carolina | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Wofford | 10 | ||||||||||||
| Totals | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 3+2 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 3+6 | 82+8 |
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Southern Conference which are played by SoCon schools:
| School | Lacrosse | Swimming &<br/>diving | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | ASUN | No | |
| VMI | America East |
| School | Basketball | Cross country | Golf | Rifle | Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Track & field (indoor) | Track & field (outdoor) | Volleyball | Total SoCon teams | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | 9 | |||||||||||
| The Citadel | 7 | |||||||||||
| East Tennessee State | 9 | |||||||||||
| Furman | 10 | |||||||||||
| Mercer | 9 | |||||||||||
| Samford | 9 | |||||||||||
| UNC Greensboro | 9 | |||||||||||
| VMI | 5 | |||||||||||
| Western Carolina | 9 | |||||||||||
| Wofford | 10 | |||||||||||
| Totals | 8 | 10 | 9 | 3+3 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 87+4 |
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Southern Conference which are played by SoCon schools:
| School | Beach volleyball | Lacrosse | Swimming &<br/>diving | Water polo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | No | No | No | ||
| Furman | No | No | No | ||
| Mercer | No | No | |||
| VMI | No | No | MAAC | ||
| Wofford | No | No | No |
See also: College Football All-Southern Team.
This is a partial list of the last 10 champions. For the full history, see List of Southern Conference football champions.
| Year | Champion | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Chattanooga | 7–0 | ||
| 2015 | Chattanooga† The Citadel | 6–1 | ||
| 2016 | The Citadel† | 8–0 | ||
| 2017 | Wofford† | 7–1 | ||
| 2018 | East Tennessee State Furman Wofford† | 6–2 | ||
| 2019 | Wofford† | align=center | 7–1 | |
| 2020 | VMI† | align=center | 6–1 | |
| 2021 | East Tennessee State† | align=center | 7–1 | |
| 2022 | Samford† | align=center | 8–0 | |
| 2023 | Furman† | align=center | 7–1 |
This is a partial list of the last 10 regular-season and tournament champions. For the full history, see List of Southern Conference men's basketball champions.
| Year | Regular season champion | Record | Tournament champion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Davidson | 15–1 | Wofford | |
| 2014–15 | Wofford | 16–2 | Wofford | |
| 2015–16 | Chattanooga | 15–3 | Chattanooga | |
| 2016–17 | East Tennessee State UNC Greensboro Furman | 14–4 | East Tennessee State | |
| 2017–18 | UNC Greensboro | 15–3 | UNC Greensboro | |
| 2018–19 | Wofford | 18–0 | Wofford | |
| 2019–20 | East Tennessee State | 16–2 | East Tennessee State | |
| 2020–21 | UNC Greensboro | 13–5 | UNC Greensboro | |
| 2021–22 | Chattanooga | 14–4 | Chattanooga | |
| 2022–23 | Furman Samford | 15–3 | Furman |
This is a partial list of the last 10 tournament champions. For the full history, see Southern Conference women's basketball tournament
| Year | Champion | |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | ||
| 2015 | ||
| 2016 | Chattanooga | |
| 2017 | Chattanooga | |
| 2018 | Mercer | |
| 2019 | Mercer | |
| 2020 | Samford | |
| 2021 | Mercer | |
| 2022 | Mercer | |
| 2023 | Chattanooga |
This is a partial list of the last 10 champions. For the full history, see Southern Conference baseball tournament.
| Year | Reg. season champion | Tournament champion | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=center | 2013 | |||
| align=center | 2014 | |||
| align=center | 2015 | Mercer | ||
| align=center | 2016 | |||
| align=center | 2017 | |||
| align=center | 2018 | |||
| align=center | 2019 | |||
| align=center | 2020 | Season canceled due to COVID-19 | ||
| align=center | 2021 | Samford | ||
| align=center | 2022 | Wofford | UNC Greensboro | |
| align=center | 2023 | Samford | Samford |
| Year | Air rifle champion | Smallbore champion | Overall champion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Georgia Southern | North Georgia | North Georgia | |
| 2018 | North Georgia | North Georgia | North Georgia | |
| 2019 | Georgia Southern | UAB | UAB | |
| 2020 | North Georgia | UAB | UAB | |
| 2021 | North Georgia | Georgia Southern | North Georgia |
| Year | Champion | |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | High Point | |
| 2016 | Air Force | |
| 2017 | Air Force | |
| 2018 | Richmond | |
| 2019 | Richmond | |
| 2020 | Not Held | |
| 2021 | High Point |
The Commissioner's and Germann Cups are awarded each year to the top men's and women's program in the conference.[33] The Commissioner's Cup was inaugurated in 1970. The Germann Cup, named for former Southern Conference Commissioner Ken Germann, was first awarded in 1987. The completion of the 2013–2014 athletics season saw Appalachian State winning its 33rd Commissioner's Cup and Furman its 13th Germann Cup.[34]
| Year | Commissioner's Cup | Germann Cup | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–70 | East Carolina William & Mary | — | |
| 1970–71 | William & Mary | — | |
| 1971–72 | William & Mary | — | |
| 1972–73 | William & Mary | — | |
| 1973–74 | East Carolina | — | |
| 1974–75 | East Carolina | — | |
| 1975–76 | William & Mary | — | |
| 1976–77 | East Carolina | — | |
| 1977–78 | Appalachian State | — | |
| 1978–79 | Appalachian State | — | |
| 1979–80 | Appalachian State | — | |
| 1980–81 | Appalachian State | — | |
| 1981–82 | Appalachian State | — | |
| 1982–83 | East Tennessee State | — | |
| 1983–84 | Appalachian State | — | |
| 1984–85 | Appalachian State | — | |
| 1985–86 | Appalachian State | — | |
| 1986–87 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State | |
| 1987–88 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State | |
| 1988–89 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State | |
| 1989–90 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State | |
| 1990–91 | Furman | Appalachian State | |
| 1991–92 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State | |
| 1992–93 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 1993–94 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 1994–95 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 1995–96 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 1996–97 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 1997–98 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 1998–99 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 1999–00 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 2000–01 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 2001–02 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 2002–03 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 2003–04 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 2004–05 | Chattanooga | College of Charleston | |
| 2005–06 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State | |
| 2006–07 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State | |
| 2007–08 | Appalachian State | Chattanooga | |
| 2008–09 | Appalachian State | College of Charleston | |
| 2009–10 | Appalachian State | Samford | |
| 2010–11 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State | |
| 2011–12 | Appalachian State | College of Charleston | |
| 2012–13 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State | |
| 2013–14 | Appalachian State | Furman | |
| 2014–15 | Chattanooga | Samford | |
| 2015–16 | East Tennessee State | Furman | |
| 2016–17 | East Tennessee State | Furman | |
| 2017–18 | East Tennessee State | Furman | |
| 2018–19 | East Tennessee State | Furman |